The ability to touch the surface of an object allows one to feel and determine a number of structural characteristics about the object, such as its shape, stiffness, friction, texture, or other characteristics. Humans are adept at eliciting and interpreting these feelings, called haptic feedback, during physical interaction with an object.
Haptic interfaces seek to extend the normal reach of the human hand to enable interaction with virtual objects, either by direct touch or through tool-mediated contact. Haptic interfaces measure the motion of the human hand and map it into a virtual environment. For example, a control computer may be programmed to determine when and how a user is touching objects in the virtual environment. When contact occurs, the system may employ actuators to provide the user with haptic feedback about the virtual object.
However, current haptic interfaces require extensive tuning or adjustment, and do not feel authentic, which limits the usefulness and applicability of such systems. Accordingly, improved systems and methods are desired for capturing and recreating the feel of surfaces.